Cookies are typically baked in the oven according to the conventional method of preparation. But what if your oven doesn’t work (or you don’t have one), and you have a yearning for freshly baked cookies that you cooked from scratch?
Do you have to rein in your cravings, or is there another way to get over this obstacle? Let’s find out!
How, therefore, can one bake cookies without the use of an oven? There are a number of straightforward alternatives to using an oven for baking cookies. You might use a slow cooker, the microwave, a pressure cooker, your stovetop, or an air fryer; or, you could go for no-bake cookies, which don’t need any baking at all and can be made with any appliance!
Continue reading to find out more information about the many alternatives to using an oven when you want to create cookies but don’t have one!
The Best Alternative to Using an Oven When Baking Cookies
It’s a lot of fun to make cookies at home by yourself. Not only does this imply that you get to indulge in the ooey-gooey deliciousness of freshly made warm cookies, but it also means that your house will be filled with a scent that is impossible to resist!
You may create them on your own, or you could have some friends or family around for a fun project that everyone can participate in together.
Cookies are generally baked in an oven, although there are other methods that do not need the use of an oven. This is excellent news for those of you who do not have access to an oven or whose oven is malfunctioning and cannot be mended for the foreseeable future.
Even though they aren’t conventional, these non-traditional approaches provide excellent results; in fact, if you didn’t tell someone, they wouldn’t even be able to tell that they weren’t cooked in an oven if you didn’t tell them!
The following is a list of the most effective alternatives to using an oven for baking cookies.
1. Crockpot
A crockpot is an electrical cooking gadget that may also be referred to as a slow cooker. It cooks meals on the countertop in a slow and steady manner. In addition to being wonderful for the preparation of stews and other meat meals, it is also fantastic for the preparation of cookies and other sweet delicacies.
Using a slow cooker to bake cookies is a really simple process, and the greatest thing is that you won’t need to make any changes to the ingredients called for in the recipe.
The only problem is that you won’t be able to make cookies in the traditional, bite-sized form unless you cut individual cookies from the huge cookie that was created in the crockpot.
In order to create cookies in a crockpot, you will need to follow these steps:
- You may make the inside of your slow cooker resemble a bowl by first forming it with a sheet of aluminium foil and then lining it with the foil.
- You prevent the dough from sticking, be sure to spray it or oil it adequately.
- The cookie dough should be spread out evenly on the foil.
- Cook on low for four hours with the lid on the slow cooker.
Note that the entire amount of time it takes to bake the cookie is dependent on the size of the crockpot; four hours is the perfect amount of time for a crockpot that holds six quarts.
If you have a larger or smaller crockpot, you may alter the cooking time accordingly; nevertheless, you must be sure to check on the cookie at regular intervals while it is cooking.
2. the microwave oven
Microwaves are very versatile kitchen equipment that makes life a lot easier and can perform a broad variety of tasks. Not only may microwaves be used to heat and prepare food, but they can also be put to use in baking cookies.
Cookies cooked in the microwave taste just as excellent as cookies made in the oven, but for the best results, you will need to make some adjustments to the recipe for the cookie dough.
Eggs, chocolate chips, and flavoured candies are examples of foods that do not fare very well in a microwave and have a tendency to separate as a result of being heated in one. Despite the fact that microwaves save a lot of time, they do not always spread the heat uniformly.
Because of this, it is strongly recommended that they be completely omitted from the recipe.
When making cookies in the microwave, this does not at all imply that you are required to produce tasteless and flavourless plain cookies; rather, you have the option of adding flavour by using ingredients such as cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon.
In order to prepare cookies in the microwave, the following steps need to be taken:
- In one bowl, combine the components for the wet mixture, and in another, combine the ingredients for the dry mixture.
- Mix them together until you get the desired consistency for the cookie dough.
- Mould the dough into the appropriate form, and then set it on a plate that is suitable for use in the microwave.
- Start the microwave and let it run for three to five minutes.
Note that the amount of time it takes for the cookie to finish baking in the microwave will vary depending on the model of microwave you use. It is in your best interest to consult the directions provided by the maker and to keep a careful check on the cookies.
3. Cooker That Uses Pressure
Pressure cookers are similar to slow cookers in that they are both countertop equipment and cook food using pressure, although pressure cookers can cook food considerably more quickly than slow cookers.
Put everything in the pressure cooker, set the timer, and wait for the pressure to build up so that the food may be cooked. That’s all there is to it!
There is such a wide variety of food that can be prepared in a pressure cooker, and it is also an excellent substitute for an oven when it comes to the preparation of cookies.
The following steps are required to successfully create cookies in a pressure cooker:
- You should proceed with the preparation of the cookie dough as you usually would.
- Get a springform pan and oil the inside of the base as well as the sides of the pan.
- Prepare the bottom of the pan by greasing it and then covering it with parchment paper.
- Move the cookie dough to the pan, then press it down into an equal layer.
- During the baking process, cover the pan with aluminium foil to prevent any moisture from reaching the cookie.
- In the electric pressure cooker, pour some water.
- After placing a trivet inside the pressure cooker, place the pan that is wrapped in aluminium foil on top of the trivet.
- After securing the cover of the pressure cooker, begin the cooking process.
Note that this is another approach that may generate incredibly massive cookies for you. You have the option of cutting it into smaller pieces, or you may enjoy chewing on a cookie that is comedically huge.
4. Stovetop
You have probably cooked eggs, rice, stews, soups, and a wide variety of other dishes on your cooktop before, but have you ever baked cookies there? Is it possible to bake cookies in a stovetop oven? Of course, you can!
The finished product of cookies cooked in a stovetop oven is often flatter than the finished product of cookies baked in an oven; nevertheless, you may use the exact same ingredients, and the taste will be spot on.
The following are the steps that need to be taken in order to create cookies on the stovetop:
- To begin, a substantial amount of butter should be used to grease the pan.
- Form the cookie dough into balls with your hands and then set them on the baking sheet.
- The cookie dough balls should be flattened with a spatula, and then the pan should be covered with a lid.
- Give them about five minutes to fry.
- After you have flipped the cookies over, use the spatula to further flatten them.
- Continue to cook for another five minutes.
- When they have finished baking, take the cookies from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to finish drying.
Please take note that for this procedure, you will want to use a pan that does not stick. If you don’t have one, another option is to line the pan with parchment paper and then set the cookies on top of that.
5. Air Fryer
Air fryers are compact countertop convection ovens that may successfully stand in for traditional ovens in a variety of cooking applications. You are able to prepare a wide variety of foods in an air fryer, including but not limited to fried chicken, French fries, burgers, cakes, and even cookies.
Cookies made in an air fryer are really simple to prepare and have the ideal texture: they are crunchy around the edges and chewy and soft on the inside. Yum!
In order to create cookies using an air fryer, the following steps need to be taken:
- To prevent food from sticking to the air fryer’s basket, line it with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll the cookie dough into balls, then set them aside.
- Put three to four balls of cookie dough into the basket of the air fryer and make sure there is enough room between the cookies for them to spread out while they are cooking.
- Cook them in an air fryer at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for seven to eight minutes, or until the edges begin to get crunchy.
- After removing the air fryer basket from the air fryer, let the cookies cool for five minutes inside the air fryer.
- Take them out of the basket with care and set them down on the wire rack so that they may cool off.
6. No-Bake Cookies
Who says you have to “bake” the cookies? Is that really a requirement? If you do not have access to an oven and do not want to use any of the options that were discussed above, you may just omit the step of baking completely and produce cookies that do not need baking. These are called no-bake cookies.
You are free to be quite creative with the components, and you may experiment to find the combination that best suits your taste and preferences.
The following is a guide for making cookies that do not need baking:
Ingredients
- Sugar \sButter \sMilk
- Cocoa powder that has not been sweetened.
- Peanut butter with a crispy texture.
- Oats with a rapid cooking time
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder.
- Bring the mixture to a boil while continuously stirring the pot.
- Keep boiling for one to two minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Peanut butter, oats, and vanilla extract should be stirred in once it has been added.
- Stir everything together until it is well incorporated.
- Place portions of the mixture on waxed paper using a scoop and allow it to cool completely before it is handled.
- Notes You can also use caramel instead of peanut butter to bind the cookies, and for the ultimate taste experience, you may cover the cookie mixture with nuts, marshmallows, candies, or crunchy rice cereal. In addition, you can use caramel instead of peanut butter to bind the cookies.